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SA clerk's harassment case 'not for cash'

Margaret Scheikowski

A former magistrate's clerk who claims she was sexually harassed by her boss has denied ever hearing about a $450,000 award made to another woman in a similar Adelaide case.

Rebecca Ramstrom also denied discussing that case with the magistrate and saying to him: "I should have sued my previous employer for sexual harassment".

The 33-year-old was being cross-examined on Thursday in the Equal Opportunity Tribunal in Adelaide by Marie Shaw QC, who is acting for the now-retired magistrate Joseph Baldino.

Ms Ramstrom, who was his clerk between 2008 and 2010, claims Mr Baldino repeatedly made salacious and disgusting comments, touched her breasts when pretending to look at her necklace and slapped her on the bottom with a file.

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She said she walked out of her job in September 2010 after a panic attack caused by the slapping and has not been able to work since then.

Ms Shaw asked her about a Centrelink case, which came before Mr Baldino, involving a woman who had been awarded $450,000 in a sexual harassment claim.

Ms Ramstrom said she could not recall if she typed the magistrate's sentencing remarks in the Centrelink case or if she was present in court the four times the case came before him in 2009.

She denied ever reading about the award or seeing a story about it on the television news.

Ms Shaw suggested it was "simply incorrect" for her to say she had never heard about the award.

"I stand by what I say, I speak the truth," Ms Ramstrom replied.

She said she had never heard about the award "up until this day", adding it did not interest her.

"You are not interested in how much money you could get for sexual harassment?" Ms Shaw asked.

When Ms Ramstrom replied that she was not, the Ms Shaw again asked if that was the reason she was in the tribunal.

"I am here because I am not well and I was touched," Ms Ramstrom replied.